Bihar BJP legislature party leader Sushil Modi on Friday said he would knock at the doors of the Election Commission to demand action against RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son, health minister Tej Pratap Yadav, for concealing ownership of valuable land in Patna and other places, in his 2015 assembly poll affidavit.
In this connection, Modi mentioned a tract of land in Patna, on which a mall is coming up, and 45 decimal (just under half acre) of prime land on NH-2 bypass in Aurangabad district of south western Bihar, among other properties.
Stepping up his attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad for alleged acquisition of prime property and assets in the name of his family members, Modi said this particular ‘expose’ was different from his earlier revelations.
He said the earlier ‘expose’ related to acquisition of assets through takeover of controlling stakes in two companies—Delite Marketing Pvt Ltd and AK Infosystem Pvt Ltd. But the current instance related to direct purchase of land from seven land owners, for a consideration of Rs 53.34 crore, in 2010.
Now, Modi said, the question was: From where did Tej Pratap Yadav, aged 20 years then, generate the money to clinch the deal.
“It also raises the issue, why did he chose not to disclose such prime property (valued at Rs 15 crore at current market price) and the subsequent loan of Rs 2.29 crore by mortgaging it, in his election affidavit, or in the assets and liability declaration to the state government,” he asked.
Modi said, even today, Tej Pratap Yadav, who resigned as the managing director of Lara Distributors, which runs an automobile showroom, post 2015 assembly polls, continues to hold the maximum number of shares (2.51 lakh), along with his mother Rabri Devi (1.17 lakh) and sisters Misa Bharti (1,000), Chanda Yadav (2,000) and Ragini (1 lakh)—who are all directors in the company.
Modi conceded that it was Tej Pratap’s legitimate right to do business. “But that does not allow for concealment of facts. More so, if this involves a minister. The chief minister should take immediate action and dismiss Tej Pratap from his cabinet,” he said.
Alleging that all the information related to assets and liability declaration of Lalu Prasad’s family members have been “blocked” from being downloaded (from Bihar government website), Modi said he had all the documentary evidence in his possession.
“I will take the matter to the EC,” he said.
Source: HindustanTimes